Oribe-Type Ewer
early 17th century
Medium
Glazed stoneware
Dimensions
26.7 × 21.6 cm (10 1/2 × 8 1/2 in.)
Classification
ewer (vessel)
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
9512
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Furuta Oribe (1544–1615) was a military general–turned–tea aesthete whose style of presentation at tea gatherings catered to the samurai class and rulers of seventeenth-century Japan. In contrast to his predecessors, Oribe preferred tea wares that were bold and eccentric rather than subtle and rustic. He was the first to recognize the beauty of artfully misshapen ceramics for use in tea gatherings. Ewers such as this were employed as water containers during the meal that preceded the tea service...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...